Etihad Airways to start daily Edinburgh flights in 2015

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will next year launch its first service from Scotland with the start of a non-stop daily flight from Edinburgh to its home base of Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital city.

The
new route, which will commence on 8th June, 2015, will be operated with
a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, offering a total of 22 seats in Business
Class and 240 seats in Economy Class.

In
addition to providing a direct connection between Edinburgh and Etihad Airways’
Abu Dhabi hub, the forthcoming service will enable passengers and cargo from
Scotland to connect conveniently to Etihad destinations across the Gulf region,
Asia, Australia and Africa.

James
Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Scotland
has been on our radar for some time and we are delighted that the first direct
connection between its capital, Edinburgh, and the capital of the UAE, Abu
Dhabi, will be operational from next year.

“The
two cities share strong tourism links and the UAE is Scotland’s primary trade
partner in the Gulf region, which will fuel strong demand among business and
leisure travellers on our non-stop service. Travellers will also benefit from
convenient connections to many other destinations, both on our own global
network and through our relationships with other airlines.”

Speaking
at the annual dinner of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association in February
this year, Mr Hogan pledged that Etihad Airways would start flights from
Scotland in 2015. He added that a second service would be introduced from
Scotland to Abu Dhabi in five years’ time.

Scotland's
Transport Minister, Keith Brown, said: “This new route between Edinburgh and
Abu Dhabi is fantastic news for Scotland, building on our already strong links
with the United Arab Emirates and providing a major boost to our international
connectivity.

“By
removing the need for extra connecting flights, we make Scotland a more
attractive place to do business and make it even easier for visitors from
around the globe to come and taste the fantastic tourist experience we have to
offer. I look forward to this service taking off in the summer of 2015 and have
no doubt it will prove a huge success for both Scotland and the UAE.”

Gordon
Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, added: “We are delighted to
welcome Etihad Airways to Edinburgh Airport from June 2015. The airline will
fly direct to Abu Dhabi, giving the people of Scotland access to the United
Arab Emirates and offering our passengers even more choice. With direct flights
to over 100 destinations from Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways increases our global
connectivity, ensuring Edinburgh Airport truly is where Scotland meets the
world.”

Demand
for the new route should be boosted by Edinburgh’s strong links with the Indian
subcontinent, Southeast Asia and, in particular, Australia. Edinburgh is ranked
as the second most visited city in the UK for Australians, as around eight per cent of Australians are of Scottish
descent.

Mike
Cantlay, Chairman of Visit Scotland: “The addition of an Abu Dhabi to
Edinburgh direct service is exceptional news for Scotland as it unlocks Etihad
Airways' worldwide network and allows us to further attract a wide mix of
leisure and business travellers from right across the globe. Visit Scotland’s
strategy is to develop Scotland’s air connectivity by working with global
airlines.

“This exciting new direct route
between the capitals of the UAE and Scotland continues to open up our wonderful
tourism product to the Middle East, alongside Asia, Australia and Africa. As
Scotland welcomes the world in 2014 and beyond, direct air connectivity is
absolutely crucial if we are to play on the world stage, and we very much look
forward to the arrival of the first flight in 2015.”

The
forthcoming Edinburgh service will offer a 168-tonne cargo capacity per week in
both directions, supporting Edinburgh’s position as the fourth largest finance
centre in Europe and a global hub for the scientific research, food and drink,
oil and gas, and chemical industries.

Etihad
Airways has announced six new routes for the first half of 2015, starting with
Kolkata in February, Madrid in March, Entebbe in May, and Edinburgh, Hong Kong
and Algiers in June.

The airline’s flights from Edinburgh can be booked from
today onwards at etihad.com, via travel agents, or by calling
Etihad Airways on 0345 6081225.

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